29 May 2014

ANZAC Cook Island celebrations - Dr Joe Williams and Dr Rob Woonton, Budget 2014
Kia Orana and welcome to my April-May e-newsletter.
Highlights of April:
Apr 10: Royal Visit: It was an amazing evening for my wife Moka and I to meet their Royal
Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a State Reception held in their honour. To see
them in person was quite a buzz for us and I am sure they enjoyed our beautiful country and the
hospitality shown to them throughout their visit.
Apr 19: Cook Island Soldiers World War 1 (CISWWI) I attended the first ever
commemoration service for Cook Islands veterans in World War 1 to be held in Wellington. Close
to 500 fallen soldiers were given due recognition. The event, well attended by the Cook Islands
community, was organised by our committee which included the Cook Island High Commissioner
and other key leaders.
Apr 25: ANZAC Day: I attended the dawn ceremony at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Te
Atat and Henderson RSA events and ended the day off at the Cook Island Commemoration
service at the Atiu Hall in Mngere. It was a long day but I was proud to celebrate and remember
all our fallen soldiers. The Cook Islands celebration was a first ever event in Auckland and was
organised in collaboration with Rosie Blake, the Consul-General of the Cook Islands and other
community leaders. Cook Islanders turned out in force to acknowledge their forebears bravery and
sacrifice to the war efforts. We are gearing up to celebrate the centennial next year and have
some great activities planned. Click here for updates and to see 100 plus photos of the Cook
Island event in Mngere and Porirua. And my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/alfred.ngaro

Highlights of May:
2014 Budget: Managing a growing economy
A $500 million support package for families and children, dividends from a growing economy, and
a track to surplus next year are all features of Budget 2014.
The Budget shows the economy is continuing to build momentum and provides further evidence
that we're on the right track.
Forecasts show a $372 million surplus next year, increasing surpluses in the coming years, and
the economy growing by between 2 per cent and 4 per cent annually over the next four years.
A strong economy supports more jobs and higher incomes, and allows us to provide important
public services such as health and education that New Zealanders rely on.
Because of the Government's responsible economic management, Budget 2014 also provides
significant extra support for families and young children in a way that is both effective and
affordable.
We're making GP visits free for children under 13 year olds, we're extending paid parental leave
and the parental tax credit, and we're investing more in vulnerable children and early childhood
education.
On top of those, for the first time spending on health tops $15 billion a year. And spending on
early childhood, primary, and secondary education will reach $10 billion while the tertiary spend
will be $3 billion. More information: https://www.national.org.nz/budget2014

A record $15.6 billion for health
Good health is important to New Zealand families. A strong public health service gives families
peace of mind - knowing that the care they need will be there, when they need it.
National is committed to delivering better public services, including protecting and growing our
public health service. Next year our health budget will reach a record $15.6 billion.
No parent should be put off taking their young children to the doctor because of cost.
Budget 2014 is investing $90 million over three years from 1 July 2015 so primary school-aged
children can go to a doctor for free, any time of the day or night, and get their prescriptions free
as well. This will help more than 400,000 kids and their families.
We are also investing more in disability support services, even more on elective surgeries, support
for the elderly, cancer treatment and support, and our Healthy Families NZ initiative.
More information: https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/media-
releases/detail/2014/05/15/health-budget-increases-to-a-record-$15.6b
$500 million children, families package at the heart of the Budget
National is investing almost $500 million more in the well-being of Kiwi children and families.
Budget 2014 is providing practical measures for young families and vulnerable children.
We're extending paid parental leave by four weeks, including caregivers other than parents, and
we're increasing the parental tax credit for the first time since 1999.
Free doctors' visits and prescriptions for children aged under six will be extended to all children
under 13 from July next year.
We are investing more in early childhood education to help give more children a great start in life,
and boosting the subsidy rates to help keep fees affordable for parents.
We're rolling out eight more children's teams to help protect our most vulnerable children from
abuse and to ensure they are getting the social services they need.
Our investment in the wellbeing of children and families reflects our priority of delivering better
public services for Kiwi families. More information:
https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/media-releases/detail/2014/05/15/$500m-children-
families-package-at-heart-of-budget
Budget 2014: Housing initiatives to support a growing economy
Housing initiatives in Budget 2014 highlight National's unwavering commitment to ensure more
people can achieve the Kiwi dream of owning their own home by lowering the cost of housing,
improving access to social housing for vulnerable families, and supporting the growing economy.
The Budget housing package temporarily removes duties and tariffs on building products to
increase competition and reduce costs in the industry. It will save Kiwis around $3500 to build a
standard home. The Budget also provides a $30 million boost to the Social Housing Fund - helping
hundreds more high-needs families get access to warm, dry, low-cost homes. It builds on our
comprehensive programme to improve housing affordability, and is an important part of National's
plan to build a more competitive and productive economy.
National is working hard to ensure Kiwi families have access to warmer, healthier, and low-cost
homes - part of the brighter future we're building for New Zealanders.
For more information: https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/media-
releases/detail/2014/05/15/$30m-budget-boost-for-social-housing-fund and
https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/media-releases/detail/2014/05/15/duties-and-tariffs-on-
building-products-removed

Budget 2014 Flyers:
I have "budget at a glance" flyers and one pagers of Budget 2014 breakdown on education,
health, housing and other key areas. Should you want a copy emailed or posted to you please
contact my office.

Debates:
In General Debate on April 9 I spoke about the issues in Labour. You can read my
speech here: http://www.alfredngaro.co.nz/index.php?/archives/124-General-
Debate.html
On April 10 I spoke about the support National is providing to our Veterans. You can
read my speech here: http://www.alfredngaro.co.nz/index.php?/archives/125-
Veterans-Support-Bill.html
I also spoke on our Vulnerable Children's Bill - discussing the work we are doing to
protect those who need it the most:
http://www.alfredngaro.co.nz/index.php?/archives/126-Vulnerable-Children-Bill.html
Video Blog:
In my video blog this month you can see me, and my colleague Mark Mitchell, take on the Move60
Challenge: http://youtu.be/zDWzyuatYA8
Events and activities in June:
June 2: Queens Birthday
June 4: Sexual Violence Hui
June 6: Political Panel @ Early childhood Council & Hamilton Cook Islands Assoc Launch of Te
Reo Mori
June 10: Whanganui visit
June 17: Tick for kids Event
June 29: National Conference
June 30: Dare to Dream School visit
I look forward to meeting you at the events I will be attending over the coming weeks. If there is
an issue you wish to discuss with me please ring my offices/ or email to book an appointment.
Meitaki Maata.

Phone: 04 817 8396 or 09 275 8761
Email: Alfred.ngaro@parliament.govt.nz or ngaro.auckland@parliament.govt.nz
Website: www.alfredngaro.co.nz
Facebook: facebook.com/alfred.ngaro
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlfredNgaroMP


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